Traction-engine.



E. M. AWHLELOCK. TBAOTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED' JUNE 9, 1911.

Patented Feb. 11,1913.

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ATTOR EY jf-2y, 5. 1341 ff? 60.96 ma 56 WITNESSES E. M. WHEELOGK.

TBACTION ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 9, 1911.

Patented Feb. 11, l1913.

INVENTOR Edu/f77 jf Wee/ccf.

ATTRNEY E. M. -WHEEmGKI Patented Feb. 11, 191s.

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EDWIN M. WHEELOCK, OF WINONA, MINNESOTA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

LGF-52,867.

I To all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWIN M. VVHEELOGK,

y a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a traction engine, in which the prime mover comprises a motor of the explosive type,` especially designed for the development of al relatively high power, to be used in pulling gangy plows and other agricultural machinery and for other purposes where ahigh power and reliable gas tractor is desired.

lt is a principal object of my invention to provide an engine of this type which shall develop the -necessary power and have the capacity for enduring the hard service to which it will necessarily be subjected and at the same time-be relatively light and have the parts thereof conveniently arranged and easily accessible for the purpose of care and repair.

An especial object of my invention is to -provide'a frame for a traction engine which shall be wide enough to receive and support a four cylinder, or other multiple cylinder,

explosive engine of the horizontal o-ppo-sed cyllnder type, said frame being so trussed and stiened by special cross-members as to be rigid and free from warping, however rough the ground on whichthe engine'is operating, and at the same time requiring a relatively small weight of material.

A further object of my invention is to form directly asa part of such framework a housing for the shaft upon which the traction wheels are mounted.

A further object vof my invention is to e about said point of support but being re strained from movement in Aa horizontal plane, excepting in a very slight degree by ment of said cab and the operating parts of the machine including the oil receptacle on specification of Letters Patent. A

Applicationhled June`9, 1911.

'U-shaped, as clearly Patented Feb. 11,1913.

Serial No, 632,274.

said framework such as will produce a compact easily accessible strong and durable machine.

Other objects and advantages ofmy invention will appear in the detail description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating the applical tion of my invention in onefform,-Figure 1 1s a plan view with the caslng and cab removed. F ig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on a line substantially through the center of the machine. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the casing and cab removed with some portions broken away to show certain features. Fig. 4.- is a rear elevation. Fig. 5 is a rear sectional elevation taken in part through the frame housing for the traction wheel aXle. Fig. 6 is a sectionall elevation taken on line 9--9v of Fig. 3l and viewed toward the'front of the machine. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the cross-web casting used in stiii'ening the frame of t-he traction engine. Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the same.

TheA frame of my engine comprises an upper and lower deck, the upper deck providing they means of Vsupportlng the frame upon the wheels and the means of supporting the various operative parts of the engine while the lower deck is so constructed and bracedy to the upper deck as' to give very great rigidity and .t the same time provide theV drawbar attachment of the enginel to the load to be drawn thereby. Theframe of 'the-upper deck, as clearly shown in Fig. l,

comprises main ylongitudinal channel beams 2Q and 21 extending from frontl to -rear of the-machinek and-.secured together by trans-` verse channel beams 22 and 23 at .the front of the machine, transversechannel beam 24 toward therear of thevmachine and transverse channel beam 25 at the eXtreme rear of the upper declnl These frame piecesy are securely riveted together?, the transverse channel beam 25 being Secured to Athe longitudinal channel beams 20 and-.21 bya bevel joint, as indicated at 26 -in Fig. l, angle' plates 27 being set into the `respective chan# nels of the beams and riveted to thewebs of said beams, as shown in Fig. 4. B olted to the longitudinal beams'20 and 21 near the rear of the upper deckis a heavy transverse casting 28 the body portion of which isfsemi-tubular, a cro-ss section 'thereof being shown in Fig. 2. The casting 28 is providedat either side with the casting 28 for a purpose to be later described. The casting 28 in addition t'o being a part of the frame of the machine adding very materially in strengthening and stiffening the same transversely has the special function of providing al housing and bearing for the shaft ofthe traction wheels 36.

The lower deck of the framework comprises two longitudinal angle beams `37 and.

38, each bent, asshown -at 39 so as' to have an ascending portion 40 which is bolted to the channel beam 20' or 21 at 41, the main portion of the angle beams 37,38 extending parallel with and below the channel beams 20 and 21 and to-a point somewhat to the rear thereof'to bring the end of the lower of an angle bar 43, which extends Aat either,

deck back' of the rearward peripheral extentof the traction wheels. The angle beams 37and 38 are transversely connected forward of the center thereof by an angle bar 42vand have bolted to the rear end thereside of the angle beams 37 and 38 practically to the outer limits of the traction wheels.4

The main portions. of the members 37 and 38 -are secured in parallel .relation to the channel beams 20 and 21 by means of vertical angle beams 44 and 45 bolted or riveted to both of said sets of longitudinal frame members.` Just above the point 39 where the members 37 and 38 are bent upwardly a two-armed casting 46 is bolted to the upwardly extending portion 40 of each ofthe members 37 and 38, the vertical arms 47 and the oblique arms 48 of said castings being- 'boltied to the lower flange of the channel i members 20 and 21.

To provide the necessary stiffness to my engine will be subjectedjn the work of y.going over the rough ground in plowing or other )farm operations I have provided the frame member illustrated in detail in Figs; 7 and 8. This member is a lcastinghaving at'each end thereof atriangularwb 49 connected by a transverse web 50. wThe triangular webs 49 are each provided-with flanges 51, 52- and53, respectively, the upper flanges 52 being bolted to the' flanges of the channel beams 2,0 and 21, the; lower flanges 51 being similarly bolted to the ascending portions 40 of the angle Abeams 37 and 38, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The web 50- is provided wlth a forwardly extending flange 54 and a 57` extends across from the flange 54 of the web 50 to the transverse beam 23. The' rectangular frame system composed of the longitudinal beams 20 and 57 and the transverse beams 23 and 56 provides the means of supportfor the four-cylinder gasolene engine designated generally by the character 58, said engine being an opposedcylinder horizontally mounted type. The use of the web casting 50 not .only connects the upper and lower deck of the frame together so as to give an unusual degree of stiffness thereto, but permits a disposition of the engine such lthat while the same may be carried relatively well down inthe frame a direct gear drive' is permitted with frame clearance for. the gearing, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper and lower decksat the rear portion thereof are additionally braced transversely by means of a pair of stayrods 59 and 60 each bolted to an up per and lower longitudinal member in front .of the casting 28 and extending diagonally between said members and beingbolted together at 61. A similar pair of cross stayrods 62 and 63 are similarly secured to the framework at the rear end thereof while oblique braces 64 extend from the top of the uprights 44 to the rearwardly extended portions of the angle bars 37 and 38. A reach-like channel iron 65 is secured tothe transverse members 42 and 43I and to additional transverse members 66 and 67 suspended from the framework, the member 66 being directly suspended from the portion 40 of the bars 37 and 38 by hangers 68 while the members 67 is supported from the'channel beams 20 and 21 by means of'hangers 69 and cross braces 70 and 71-, as shown` most clearly in Figs. 2

- with the lower deck of the frameby means theJ iframe to meet the racking strain to which ,of horizontal cross braces 72 and 73 bolted at the point of crossing to the reach 65 andv at their forward'ends to members 37 and 38, being again-bolted at 74 and 75 to members 38 and- 37, respectively,'.andkextending beshaped member 78 having hooks 79 and 80 extending over thevedge of the transverse drawbar 43 on each side of the reach 65 and riveted to said drawbar at 81 and 82', re-

1,052,867 I ai spectively. In pulling plows and other yagricultural machinerypit is usually desirab e to attach the same to the traction engine at apoint to one side or the other of the center of draft. This point may need to be varied in connection with different forms of the machines, for which reason I have devised l the adjustable clevis connections 82.

' the vshaft 35.

member 28 is open at the bottom and at As above indicated, the transverse casting 28 provides means for securing the traction wheels to the frame of the machine through As shown in Fig. 2, -the either end is provided with sets of lugs 34 adapted to coperate with similar lugs 88 on plates 89, said plates being adapted to secure in position within the member 28 bushing blocks forming bearings for the shaft 35. These bushings may be made in two sections, the upper sect-ion or real bearing block being semi-cylindrical so that when such a member becomes worn it may be readily slipped out and a new slip bushing placed in bearing position in its stead. The shaft. 35 extends a distance at either side -of the frame member 28 sufficient t-o provide for mounting thereon of the traction wheel hubs 91, said hubs having thereonspiders 92 and 93 forming means olf attachment for the wheel spokes 94 and also an additional spider 95 to which the main driving gears 96 are secured. The spokes 94 secure the' wheel rim 97 in position in a manner well known. Said spokes are rectangular in shape and arel provided with a double turnbuckle 98 by which the wheel rim is centered with respect tothe shaft 35 and the spokes 94 properly tightened. The

i wheel rim is reinforced at the edges thereof by rings 99 of angle iron. The gear 96 operates in a closed gear casing 100 of the type shown and described in Patent Number 986,614. One of the hubs 91 is keyed to rotate with the shaft 35, as sho-wn at 101, in

Fig. 5, the other wheel 36 being free to rotate on said shaft to permit the necessary differential speeds when the engine is being driven varound curves. Y

The front end of the engine is sstained by steering wheels 102 mounted up n short axles pivoted on pins 105 positioned between the bifurcat-ed ends 106 of the front axle 107. The frame of themachine is supported direct-ly upon the axle 107 at the center thereof by means of a two-armed casting 109 having a bifurcated lower end 110 straddling the axle 107, as shown in section in Fig. 2. Each of the arms of member 109 is provided with a central web 111 having a vertical flange 112 bolted directly to the web of the channel beams 20 and 21, the said arms also having a double flange structure 113 extending beneath the channel beams 2O and 21 and by means of which the arms of the `member 109 are bolted to the with a hand wheel 138 by which the same is rotated to correspondingly rot-ate the rod 115 for the purpose of steering the machine. The intermediate connections of the belt 132 comprise a turnbuckle 139 for tightening the belt to render certain and accurate the operation thereof. The vertical bearing portions 104 of the steering axles are provided with rearwardly and downwardly extended arms 140, the two arms of said steering axles being connected so that the same will necessarily move in unison by means of the cross link 141.

The moto-r 58 is a four cylinder gas engine of well known type and operates a central crank shaft 149 working in a closed crank box 150 which box has a removable lid 151. with a hand cranking device 152 of common construction. Loose upon the crank shaft 149 is a sleeve carrying a pulley 153 and driving gear 154, said sleeve being adapted to be clutched to the shaft 149 by means of a clutch 155 operated by an angle lever 156 horizontally pivoted to the upper platform of the frame, said angle lever-being operated by hand lever 157 pivoted to the frame at 158 and pivotally connected by means of a link 159 to lever 160 pivoted to the frame and having a bifurcated end 161 embracing the other arm 162 of the angle lever 156.

Upon a shortshaft 163 journaled upon frame members 21 and 57 a gear 164 is provided which meshes with a gear 1465. fast on a square shaft 166 journaled upon frame members 20 and 21. Mounted to slide on the shaft166 is a sleeve 167 having thereon different sized pinions 168, 169, and 170 adapted to mesh with gears 171, 172 and 173 fast on the driving shaft 174 journaled in boxes attached to the lower Sides of the longitudinal frame members 20 and 21, said shaft having at the ends thereof gears 175 adapted to mesh with the gears 96 on the hubs 91 of the traction wheel members. The sleeve 167 is adapted to be moved along the square shaft 166 to bring the different pinions thereon into mesh with the different gears on the shaft 174 for driving the traction engine at different speeds by means of an angle lever 176 having a fork connected with said sleeve, said angle lever being pivoted at 177 to the transverse frame member 24 and being connected by a link 178 pivotally con- 13a nected at 179 to change speed lever 180.'

Pivoted in a bracket 181 securd to the cross web 50 is a rocking arm 182 to which is journaled an idler pinion 183 adapted, when thrown into position, to mesh at the same time with gear 169 on sleeve 167 and gear 171 on shaft 174 whereby the engine may be driven in reverse' direction, the reversing gear C183 being swung in and out of position by means of a lever 184 similar to lever 180 vand directly connected with arm y 5182 by a link pivoted to lever 184 at 185. As shown in Fig. 1, shaft 174 is yprovided with a brake er drum 186` with which coperates a brake 15 shoe, not shown, which brake shoe is con! trolled by lever 187 operating winding drum.

.188 upon which is the chain -189 for actuating the brake drum.

As `previously stated, the motor is of ordinary construction being provided with the usual parts necessary for the operation of a four cylinder gas engine, the muier 190 being shown in Fig.- 3 and the radiator 191 in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, said radiator being secured between the channel beams 20 and 21.

To force a current of air through thebradiator for cooling purposes a fan 192 is mounted on a longitudinal shaft 193 held in bearin s 194 `and 195 on the frame pieces 22 and 23. Thefan is driven by abelt 196 passing around a pulley 197 on the shaft 193 and around a larger pulley 198 on a longitudinal shaft 199, one end of said shaft being mounted to 'rotate in hangers 200 and 201 55 depending from the transverse-frame mem bers 22 and 23, the other end of said shaft being mounted in a boxing 202 carried by a bracket 203 boltedto the web 50, as shown in Fig. 2. The end of the shaft within the 40 said box is provided with a bevel gear 204 meshing with a bevel gear 205 on a shaft ,206 having thereon a pinion 207 meshingl with'jthe gear 164. By means of these connections the fan 192 is rotated at a hi h rate I of speed to produce the air current esired for the necessary cooling action.

A frame casin .208, as shown in section in Fig. 2, ncloses t e u per portion of all the operative parts of`t e-machineexcepting part of themufier, said casing being held in position by arch members 209 and extending rearwardly to the front wall of the cab 210, which cab, as'clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5, is mounted directly upon the upper frame 55 members 20 and 21. The Ic'ab is provided with a front' window 211 and with offset portions at the sides 212 and 213, saidoffset portions having windows 214 and 21-5,

i. respectively, in the front thereof and side windows 216.Y The cab is provided with an upholstered seat 217 in one corner thereof in convenient proximity to the steering wheel 138 and .the various-operative levers. Steps 218 are provided extending from the transverse drawbar 43 up to the Hoor 219 'of the cab upon the top of the upper deck frame. Secured between the transverse channel beam 24 and the web 5 0 is a lowei` gear casing 220 having a depressed portion 221 at the bottom thereof immediately beneath` the shaft 174 and the gears thereon,

which casing and more especially the said depressed portion are adapted to contain oil so that the lgearing will be continuously oiled by running freely in a bath thereof while absolutely protected from intrusion of sand or dirt by the casings 220 and 208.

A space of triangular cross section above the gearing and extending back within the cab is utilized by placing therein a gasolene tank 222, which puts the gasolene in con-- venient proximity to the engine and at the same time suficiently removed therefrom to do away with any danger of heating, the

gasolene being conveyed to the cylinders of f the engine through feed and carbureter mechanlsm of well known construction-` which need not herein be described. The` flat table-like portion 223 within the cab above the gasolene tank may, if desired, be utilized as a lace of storage for tools or even for additional gasolene, since the lookout windows 214 and 215 in the ofset portions of the cab 212 and 213 will permit the operator to obtain steering View of the road or work ahead even if the front window 211 be somewhat obstructed.

The boxes forming the bearings for the shaft 35 of the traction wheels are oiled by means of oil passages 224, similar passages 225 providing means lof injecting oil within the main gear casing 220, while an especial oil case 226 on the platform 223, throu h tubular connections not shown, provi es means of oiling other operative portions of the mach-ine. u

- The relation of the different parts of my machine one to the other and the modeof operation thereof have been very fully given in connection with the detailed descriptiony ing 50, secured to both the `upp'erand lower I decks of the frame of the machine, have the ei'ect of absolutely preventing any warping or twisting whatever ofsaid frame .as the engineis rocked fromone sideto another when the traction uare driven over uneven ground. This rigidity of the frame together with absolute freedom of oscillation of the steering axle in a vertical plane has the effect of retaining all of the operative parts in exact adjustment and most eiicient working condition no matter how uneven or rough the ground upon which the traction engine must operate.

I claim:

l. A traction engine comprising a frame having an upper deck formed of longitudinal and transverse members rigidly secured together, one of said transverse members being a semi-tubular casting open at the bottom, bearing blocks within said casting and, removable through'said bottom opening, a shaft in said bearings, traction wheels on the shaft, -and means supported by the frame to drive the traction wheels.

2. A traction engine comprising a frame formed of transverse and longitudinal channel beams rigidly secured together, and an additional transverse frame member consisting of a semi-tubular casting having webs and flanges by lwhich said casting is secured to both the webs and the flanges of the longitudinal channel beams so as to be positioned directly beneath the same, the ends of said casting extending outside of said longitudinal beams, a shaft within said casting held in bearings positioned directly beneath said l`longitudinal beams and removable through the open side of said casting, traction wheels on the shaft, and means supported, by the frame to drive the wheels.

3. A traction' engine comprising-arframe having an upper supporting/deck and a lower draft deck each formed of longitudinal and transverse members rigidly secured together and the two decks being trussed and cross-braced to form a substantially iny tegral structure, and acasting formed with portionsextended in the vertical planes and bolted to the longitudinal members of both `decks and an integral wide web extending transversely of the-frame between the two decks. n

4. A traction engine comprising a frame having two parallelrdecks each formed of longitudinal and transverse members rigidly secured together and the two decks being trussed and cross-braced to form a substantially integral structure, and a casting bolted to the longitudinal members of both decks having a wide web extending transversely of the frame between the two decks, said web being obliquely disposed and formed with a horizontal flange on the upper edge thereof,

and a supplemental frame having a transverse member extending only partly across the upper deckssupported upon said horizontal flange.

5. A traction engine comprisin having two parallel decks each fo a frame rmed oflongitudinal and transverse members-rigidly secured together and the two decks being trussed and cross-braced to forma substantially integral'structure, and a casting bolted to the longitudinal members of both decks having a wide web extending transversely of the frame between the two decks, said web being obliquely disposed and formed with a horizontal ange on the upper edge thereof, a supplemental frame having a transverse memberextending only l partly across the upper deck supported upon said horizontal flange', a motor mounted within the supplemental frame, gearing mounted in the main frame of the upper v deck including a driving shaft extending outside of the longitudinal members thereof at both ends and intermediate gearing mounted between the supplemental frame and one of said longitudinal members for connecting the motor wit-h the first named gearing. N

6. A traction engine comprising 'a frame having twoiparallel decks each formedof longitudinal and transverse members rigidly secured together and the two decks beingy trussed and cross-braced'to form a substant-ially integral structure, the longitudinal members of the lower deck being bent lupwardly and attached to the corresponding members of the upper deck near the middle thereof, and a casting bolted to said upwardly extending portions and to the longitudinal members of the upper deck having a wide web extending transversely vof the frame between the two decks.

7. A tract-ion engine comprisin a frame having two parallel decks each formed of longitudinal and transverse members rigidly secured together and the two decks being trussed and cross-braced to form a substantially integral structure, the longitudinal members of the lower deck being bent upwardly and attached to .the corresponding members of the upper deck near the middle thereof, and a casting provided with triangular vertical flanged webs, the flanges thereof being bolted to the said upwardly extending portions and to the longitudinal 'members of the upper deck, and a wide web extending between said triangular webs and transversely of the machine between the two decks.

8. A tract-ion engine comprising a frame having two parallel decks each formed of longitudinal and transverse members rigidly secured together and t-he two decks being trussed and cross-braced to form a substantially integral structure, the upper deck including a transverse member having therein bearings for the v'shaft of the traction wheels, and said shaft and wheels and means mounted on the upper deck to drive the same, and the lower deck including a transverse member extending outwardly to the rear "of said wheels and having meansl ithereon for attaching the engine to the iobject to be-pulled at one or more independent points along said transverse member., 9. A-traction engine comprising a frame 5 having two parallel decks each formed of L longitudinal and transverse members rigf idly secured together and the two decks being trussed and cross-braced' to form a substantially integral structure, the upper deck r including supporting means for the .oper- 'ative, parts of the machine, and the lower deck including a transverse angle iron -mem Iberextnding outwardly to the rear of the tractlon wheels, 'and means for at-taching the .1.5 engine to its load on and `ladjustable along said transverse member.

10; AA traction engine comprisin a frame having two parallel decks each ormed of longitudinal and transverse members rig- 20 idly secured to ether andthe two decks being trussed an ycrossbraced to form a substantially integral structure, and a casting bolted to the longitudinal members of both decks having awide web extendingI trans- 25 versely of the frame between the two decks,

Ma supplemental frame. withiny and of less `width` than said upper deck partially supported by said wide web, a multiple opan' an intermediate gear mounted between the supplemental frame and Aone of said longitudinal members for connecting-said Kengine shaft withI said gearing.

11. A traction engine comprisingv a frame having' an upper supporti'n deck and a lower draft deck each forme 'of longitudinal and transverse membersrigidly secured direct spur-gear transmission ngearing, op-

eratively connected with said engine, supported upon said upper deck and positioned above and below' the plane of sa1d deck, a

gasolene tank supported directly upon the upper deck and forming a part of a casing inclosing said transmission gearing, andk a draw bar having direct connection with the lower deck. u e

l2. A traction engine having two decks 'each formed of longitudinal and transverse members secured together to form a substantially integral structure, one of ysaid transverse members being a casting bolted to the longitudinal members of both decks and having a wide web extending transversely of the frame between the two decks, said web being formed with a horizontal fia-nge on the upper edge thereof, a supplemental frame having a transverse member extending only partly acrossthe upper deck supported upon said horizontal flange, a multiple o lposed cylinder engine horizontally suppdited in said supplemental frame, and transmission gearing includlng a train of direct drive spur gears transversely journaled upon the longitudinal members of the up er deck and operatively meshlng through rom front to rearofsald lweb 1n the clearance space afforded between the su lementalframe and the adjacent longitu mall member of the upper deck.

In testimony whereof-.I'atiix my signature l in presence of two witnesses. v l

EDWIN M. wHEELocK.

Witnesses: l

H. A. BowMAN, A. WHITELEY. 

